REFINISHING

[ADNOH]

Hi, I am new to this site. I have had two red 1986 Honda Sprees since 1987. Killer bees!

I was able to keep them in a garage for the first 15 years of their lives, but have had to keep them outside in the Summers for the last 5 or 6. Consequently the plastic has faded, and I would like advice on how to restore them to their original bright red.

Thanks,

RM

[jbarb]

I just used Duplicolor from the automotive isle at Walmart. I went with gunmetal grey. It was a quick, cheesy 20 minute job and costed 5 bux. Looks pretty good though. I'll put up some pics later if you want.

[ADNOH]

Thanks Jbarb,

I didn't think regular automotive paints would stick. I suppose they must be flexible enough if you've had success. Would like to see pics. How do you post them on here?

I was wondering if abyone had tried to polish or buff the original plastic as the colour is all the way through?

RM

[jbarb]

I havent tested the paints long term durability but I think it was recommended a few times on these forums.

For pics I usually upload them to like imageshack and then copy paste the url that it gives you into the post. I'll put some up later when I get off work.

[se50]

I haven't bothered with the plastics on my SE50, since nearly everything is gone, but my KLR250 enduro has a blue and white color scheme. White fenders, blue radiator scoops and seat. White tank. The fenders all looked pretty bad; they were yellowing. I used plastic polish at first, but that was a ridiculous amount of polishing, so I switched to boat hull marine polished. Worked pretty well.

[ADNOH]

Thanks se50 & Jbarb,

I think the amount of polishing will be ridiculous, as you say, but I will try to givie it a go this Winter with a machanical polisher and marine rubbing polish, avoiding getting it too hot!

I have grown to love these little things and am very proud of the fact that they are 20 years old this year! They have been absolutely reliable and faultless. I had a crash on one the first day I had it (slipped on sand) and saw that they very quickly stopped being used by our local rental companies in favour of the bigger-wheeled mopeds, as I think they are a little safer to the inexperienced.

I use mine every day in the Summer to zip through traffic (defensively) and get to places in town in minute that would take half an hour in a car. I keep the tyre pressures up and the brakes adjusted! I have learned techniques to get them yto corner respectable and help their inherent poor turning atability.

So I want them to look good!

RM

[jbarb]

I doubt polishing is going to do much for old faded plastic. I would just sand it a little and go over it with a few coats of paint.

I love running errands and stuff on my Spree. Check out my post on scooter trunks. I plan on having myself some more storage space with my next paycheck. I want to get one and paint it gun metal grey to match the Spree.

Do a search for "paint job" or something similar and check out some of the other people's paint jobs.

[ADNOH]

I'll look for that Jb. I have just had a car painted gunmetal; blue (could call it silver-blue) and that range of colours ids fascinating. I am not an originality freak, but a sentimental one, and my Sprees have some historic decals on them that I want to preserve as part of their history (historic mopeds!?!?) so I am researching the options for sharpening them up without losing their patina.

Will take snaps at some time, but will be away in cooler climes for the next few weeks!

RM

[MySpree]

on your floor, front panal and the wheel cover you can wet sand then buff the paint new.

[maddog]

Try a bottle of scratch out by Kit, if it doesn't bring back the shine then wet sand the panels, paint them and use the same stuff to buff out the new paint, do not use a buffer on spray can paint cuz you may burn it.

[jbarb]

I put up a pic of mine in the other paint thread in the general forum.